


MY CHERRY BLOSSOM BOY! ( jeongchan oneshot )

by ramkingvevo



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Bakery and Coffee Shop, Bang Chan is a Sweetheart, Barista Bang Chan, Barista Lee Minho | Lee Know, Boys Republic Side Character, Boys Republic Sungjun, Brief Mention of a Lesbian Relationship, Busan setting, Coffee Shop Owner Bang Chan, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Discrimination, Falling In Love, Fox Hybrid, Friendship/Love, Gay Love, Gay Romance, Homelessness, Homosexuality, Hybrid Yang Jeongin | I.N, Hybrid discrimination, Hybrids, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Kpop fanfiction - Freeform, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Kpop, LGBTQ Romance, LGBTQ Themes, Love, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Oneshot, Originally Posted Elsewhere, Past Violence, Possibly Triggering Topics, Stray Kids Fanfiction, boys republic - Freeform, brief mentions of past abuse, gay relationship, hybrid humans, jeongchan, stray kids - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2019-11-21
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21514312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ramkingvevo/pseuds/ramkingvevo
Summary: ❝ YOU MAKE ME FEEL SPECIAL, NO MATTER HOW THE WORLD BRINGS ME DOWN. . . ❞The owner of a popular café finds himself intrigued by one of his customers, leading to an unexpected secret being revealed in bare flesh (very literally) and a warm relationship that's simply too close to be defined as "just friends."[complete]― originally posted on wattpad !
Relationships: Bang Chan & Yang Jeongin | I.N
Comments: 10
Kudos: 67





	MY CHERRY BLOSSOM BOY! ( jeongchan oneshot )

**Author's Note:**

> ― opinions and constructive criticism are always welcome, so please feel free to leave me a comment!

Chan was the proud owner of a quaint little coffee shop that was tucked away between an incredibly expensive clothing store and a fancy chocolate shop that sold gourmet treats to its wealthy clientele. On the outskirts of Busan, where the hustle and bustle of the prominent city was still present, but much less than it would be within the true city limits, "Café Divine" stood its ground, with new customers testing the waters of the charming little establishment each day. The shop also had its fair share of regulars, and Chan knew the vast majority of them by name, and he knew their typical orders by heart.

That was the reason so many people found themselves going back to to Café Divine so often. Chan was a lovely, and very much so a personable, individual. His smile was radiant, and he always seemed to be in a good mood. With his ever changing hair colors, from brown, to silver, to black, to his current state of blonde, the Australian was the type of person that ropes people in with a warm aura and puts a smile on their faces no matter their struggles in daily life. Not only that, but the items on the menu at the shop were extremely good; -from the coffee, to the tea, to the pastries and baked goods that were prepared fresh each morning.

With many people coming into Café Divine everyday, Chan had hired help along the line. There was Sungjun, the sophisticated, mature, but also unimaginably sweet guy that he'd hired very early on, who had now become the manager of the café. Sungjun was also in the process of becoming the co-owner of the business, and he was certain that it was a fantastic investment. Then there was Minho, the goofy barista with a habit of feeding the stray cats in the back alleyway, who believed wholeheartedly that every problem could be solved with a cup of hot tea and a warm, icing covered cinnamon roll.

The three of them weren't rich by any means, but they each made more than enough to get by. Chan did freelancing gigs every now and again, writing songs for up and coming indie artists in the area that he met through his coffee shop. Sungjun was a frequent entertainer at bars and clubs in the heart of Busan, well-known throughout the city for his vocals, and Minho was studying performing arts in college with a focus on dance. He would sometimes do busking performances within the city limits, and people seemed to enjoy them each time, always making sure to tip him well.

"We're low on the pumpkin spice blend," Sungjun noted, looking over at Chan to make sure that the younger male had heard him.

"Alright," the Australian nodded his head in understanding, flashing his kind smile at the elderly woman in front of him as he handed her thirty seven cents in change, "I'll go grab some from the back. I ordered in bulk for the season, since everyone seems to love pumpkin spice during autumn."

"Smart move," Sungjun noted, "it'll sell out in no time, especially now that we have that sign up in the window."

Chan entered the small room in the back of the building that he'd chosen to convert into a storage closet. Really, there was no other purpose that he could see for such a tiny space, so the blonde decided to shove their varying items in there, as it kept them out of the way and left them in a place where they were easily accessible when need be.

"Here you go," the Australian handed the bright orange package to Sungjun, which was met with mumbled thanks from the elder male.

With a lax smile on his face, Chan let his gaze rake across all the different people that were seated inside of his establishment. A young woman with long, sleek, raven colored hair sat in front of a laptop with a cup of cooling oolong tea placed to the side as she typed away, stopping only for a few seconds to brush her wispy bangs out of her eyes. The elderly woman that Chan had just rung up was sitting in the corner with a man that the blonde assumed to be her son. . . Either that, or there was a very large age gap in their relationship.

A young boy, looking to be around three or four years old, sat next to his mother at a table munching on a pumpkin cookie with a happy, sugar induced smile playing on his lips as his mom watched over him with love in her eyes, taking periodic sips of her black coffee as she did so. Tucked away in the farthest corner, two teenage girls sat side by side despite the fact that they could have been sitting across from one another. Chan's first thought was that they were there hoping to be served by Minho, who was very popular among the local teens because of his handsome face. However, that thought went out the window as he watched the red haired girl nervously place her hand over the brunette's with a shaky touch, only for the action to be reciprocated moments later, their fingers intertwining and then disappearing under the table away from judgemental eyes.

And then there was _him_.

Jet black hair peeking out from under the beanies that he never seemed to take off, warm ivory skin that always looked perfect, despite the boy appearing to be no more than seventeen years old, which is the time when most teens experience massive hormonal changes that lead to acne and oily skin. Chan highly doubted that his age matched his looks, though. His jaw was sharp and his facial structure was quite mature looking, but he had a bit of a baby face. With rose colored lips on the thinner side, a slim body that seemed almost feline in some of the movements he made, though it was covered by layers of warm clothing, and eyes that housed woodland brown irises and obsidian pupils, the Australian couldn't help but to be entranced by the customer.

 _Jeongin_.

His name was really all that Chan knew about him. . . That, and the fact that he always ordered a cinnamon dolce latte, and occasionally he would purchase a pastry to go along with it. Jeongin was indifferent, for lack of a better term. He was polite, and he always said please and thank you. He was never rude or obnoxious, not to any of the employees nor to any of the other customers. Jeongin was quiet, soft spoken, and didn't say unnecessary things. He spoke when and only when it was appropriate or needed. Other than that, he kept his head down low, his eyes cast downward, and his hair swaddled inside of a beanie.

Chan thought that he was rather cute, the way he fidgeted in his seat when the door opened and the tiny golden bell above it rang out, alerting the workers of a new customer. He peered out the window of the shop, people watching, staring at the individuals who passed by with their backpacks, purses, briefcases, and shopping bags.

"He's weird," was Sungjun's opinion about the entire thing.

The duo had had a short lived conversation earlier in the week about Jeongin when the boy came into the coffee shop, scraping coins from the pockets of his jeans in order to pay for his drink.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that," Sungjun had told him, making sure that his words weren't taken in a derogatory fashion, "he's just odd. Different, y'know?"

Chan didn't disagree. There wasn't a reason to, really. Jeongin most certainly was very different, but that wasn't at all a bad thing.

"I think he's just. . . Special," the Australian had stated, and he stood by that sentiment fully.

He thought that the boy was just unique. Maybe a bit on the introverted side as well. But, at the end of the day, he was interesting, and he never caused any problems at the café. Jeongin came, ordered, sat down at a table, and when he was finished he cleaned up after himself and left.

"I wonder," Chan noted making his way over to Sungjun as the elder male turned the manual coffee grinder, "what do you think goes through Jeongin's head while he'd sitting there? Like, what types of things does he think about?"

"I have no clue, Chan."

The response wasn't shocking in the slightest. The Australian didn't figure he'd get any good insight from Sungjun in the first place.

"But, if you want to know so badly, then why not go ask him for yourself?"

"No," the younger male's nose scrunched up a bit, "I can't do that, that's weird. He's just trying to enjoy some coffee, he doesn't need some stranger coming up to him and asking him what's happening in his brain."

"Well obviously you shouldn't ask him that way," Sungjin rolled his eyes, "what I meant was that you should just go and talk with him. Go be his friend if you want to spend time with him so badly."

"I do want that, but. . . What if he doesn't? He doesn't seem like the type who'd like it if some random person went over to him and started talking to him for no reason," Chan replied.

"But there _is_ a reason," Sungjun's face deadpanned, "you want to be his friend. You want to get to know him. _That's the reason_. This really isn't a hard concept, Chan."

The Australian couldn't say he was surprised by the older boy's blunt words. After all, Sungjun had never been known for sugarcoating things. . . He was the same male who'd taken a sip of Chan's first attempt at an original special blend, and even with that information, Sungjun had spat the liquid out as soon as the taste sank into the buds on his tongue, and then he proceeded to tell the blonde that it was "absolutely fucking disgusting." Sungjun just wasn't the type to mince words.

"And you'd better think fast, because his drink is halfway gone and we both know he never finishes it before he leaves. So, I'd say you have about thirty seconds to think and another thirty seconds to hype yourself up with a pathetic little pep talk before he gets up, walks out that door, and it ends up being too late."

Sungjun's calculations, however, were off. Swallowing down a flavorful mouthful of his cinnamon latte, Jeongin rose from his seat and rushed out the door, almost as if he was running from something. He didn't even bother to clean the table off like he normally did. Chan watched the scene unfold, his heart sinking a little as the tiny golden bell's shrill sound emphasized the way in which the raven haired boy had run off so abruptly.

"Or. . . Maybe a little less than a minute. . ." Sungjun spoke up, though he knew that his words did very little in the way of making his friend feel any less downtrodden.

The Australian sighed, just hoping that Jeongin would return later in the week. He usually stopped by on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with the occasional Wednesday thrown in every once in a while. For the past three months, He'd had a pattern, and it was one that Chan caught onto quite easily, though he wasn't sure what it meant or why it was followed in the first place. All he knew was that it existed, that it was a thing, and that Jeongin seemed to stick to it very strictly.

". . . I'll go clean the table off," Sungjun spoke up, speaking carefully, offering to do it so that the Australian wouldn't have to.

Chan only nodded in response.

He felt as if he'd been rejected, though that clearly wasn't the case. It was just an irrational feeling that crept up from the back of his brain and latched onto his frontal lobe like a lamprey, sucking him dry of all his positive thoughts, leaving him with only negative feelings and dark storm clouds on the horizon.

"Chan!" Sungjun stated in an urgent tone of voice that immediately pulled the blonde away from his own mind and directly into work mode.

"Sorry," he apologized, "what's the order?"

"No, no, not an order, look!"

The elder male handed the younger a small, plastic card that had been lost from the grasp or the pocket of an unsuspecting person. At first, the Australian was confused as to why Sungjun seemed so happy to be handing him the item, but as soon as his eyes saw the picture of the individual who'd lost the card, Chan was rushing out the door was Sungjun shouting from behind him, instructing him to go left. And go left the blonde did, without hesitations or second thoughts of any kind, his feet carrying him quickly down the pavement as he zigzagged his way through the scattered clumps of people going in different directions.

He rounded the corner, nearly tripping over the curb in the process, but it was just in time for Chan to catch a glimpse of Jeongin's tiny form ducking into an alleyway on the opposite side of the street. The buildings on that side were majoritively closed down, mostly from a lack of business because they'd opened in an area where the competition for customers was pretty damn fierce, and if your items were unique or if you service was simply average at best, there was no way to survive. Café Divine certainly wasn't the only establishment of its kind in the area, but his coffee shop had the highest rate of customers, and there was no doubt about that.

It could be chalked up to the café's perfect trifecta of qualities: a tasty menu, kind service, and extremely attractive employees. However, most of the businesses in the area would close down eventually, which was sad to see, but true nonetheless. Not to mention the fact that the pavement on that side of the street was jacked up, littered with cracks, bumps, and public safety hazards galore. Despite that, Chan didn't hesitate to dart across the crosswalk just before the sign turned red, and he wasted no time in stepping away from the sidewalk and into the musty alleyway.

". . . Jeongin?" He called out, his eyebrows furrowing slightly at the fact that he didn't see the raven haired male anywhere.

It was almost as if he'd gone into the alley and completely disappeared.

"Jeongin, you dropped your library card at the café, so I. . . I just wanted to make sure you got it back. A-And maybe we could be friends? Or not, whichever you'd like. I just think you seem interesting, and I'd like to get to know you better. But, only if you'd want that, of course," Chan spoke aloud, though he wasn't sure whether or not anyone was there to hear his words uttered into the chilly atmosphere.

He paused, his eyes raking over the alleyway for a few prolonged moments before he decided that he'd simply saw things wrong. It made very little sense that Jeongin would have gone into the alleyway in the first place, after all. What purpose could he have to do such a thing? The Australian felt a bit silly, all things considered, and he came to the conclusion that it would just be better to return to the shop and finish out his day's work, and Jeongin may show up later, or in a few days, once he came to realize that his card was gone.

Inserting the plastic item into the pocket of his jeans, Chan had just turned on his heels and was ready to return to the café when he heard a small, stifled noise that sounded as if it had been uttered from a small animal; -a puppy, or a kitten, perhaps. The first time, he didn't think much of it, and it wasn't something he planned on investigating. He'd seen his fair share of street cats throughout the years, and they'd never been particularity nice to him. . . Minho, on the other hand, seemed to be some sort of cat whisperer, and all of them took a liking to him almost immediately, which Chan was admittedly quite jealous of.

The repetition of the noise, however, led the Australian to search for the source of such an odd sound. Curiously, the blonde peeked around the large, green dumpster, which sat very low to the ground making it impossible for anything or anyone to crawl underneath of it. Casting his gaze downward, he found a small creature looking up at him, but Chan hadn't the slightest clue what it was. It had feline qualities, but it also looked a bit canine; -though neither was enough for him to say for certain that it was either a cat or a dog. Frankly, it didn't look like either.

Its pelt was a sandy beige, though the top of its head and the backs of its ears, as well as it's lower tail, were darker, resembling more of a rusty orange. The animal didn't seem _dirty_ , but rather, it seemed as if the melanin in its body had been dimmed, although he had no prior knowledge of the organism to back that assumption up. It's ears were quite large, much bigger than he'd ever seen on any other cat, and much more vertically sound than he'd ever seen on any other dog.

"Hey little guy," Chan squatted down in front of it as he spoke in his most gentle tone of voice, moving slowly so that he wouldn't startle the poor thing.

It's eyes were a dark shade of brown, almost seeming black until he got close enough to see the distinction between the pigment of the iris and the pigment of the pupil. He moved his hand in a timely manner, pacing himself appropriately. His fingertips brushed against the small creature's head, and it jumped back a bit, pulling itself away as it sank lower into the corner it was hiding in.

"Sorry, sorry," Chan apologized, "I didn't mean to startle you."

The animal seemed to understand, and a few seconds later it nosed at the blonde's index finger before rubbing its chin along the digit lightly, almost as if the creature was testing the waters. Hesitance laced the critter's every move, but it seemed to come to an understanding after a few more moments passed. Chan loved animals just as much as the next person, but his apartment complex didn't allow them, so he'd never been able to take one home, although one of his favorite things to do when he went into the city was spend an obnoxious amount of time in pet stores, gawking at every ball of fuzz, and tapping on the cages of smooth amphibians and scaly reptiles.

"You're just adorable, aren't you?" Chan grinned when the animal allowed him to run his open hand over its flank with no sign of aggression or fear.

Whatever the organism was, it was gentle and sweet. Its temperament was slightly distrustful, but the Australian saw no signs of true hostility or danger. The animal's ribs poked through it's skin, and the ripple of the bones could be seen even through it's layer of fur. That wasn't uncommon for the animals who lived on the streets of the city, abandoned by their owners and left to fend for themselves in the back alleyways of Busan. Still, as many times as Chan had seen malnourished animals roaming around the bustling city, as well as the outskirts of it, the sight never got easier to take in.

"You must be starving, huh little buddy? Cold too. . . Winter's coming faster than anyone anticipated this year," the blonde noted, rubbing his thumb along the creature's long ear, causing the organ to twitch at his touch.

Chan pursed his lips together into a tight line, contemplating what he should do next. He knew that the guilt of leaving the poor animal alone wouldn't let him rest that night if he were to just leave the creature there, but he also didn't think he'd be able to sneak the organism into his apartment without being reported to management. And, if that were to happen, he'd more than likely be kicked out of his apartment complex, which would undoubtedly cause all sorts of troubles in his life.

"I don't want to leave you here, but my landlord doesn't allow pets. . . Then again, you're very cute, and I doubt a little fellow like you would cause too much trouble. . ."

With only slight reluctance, Chan scooped the small animal into his arms, and he held its shivering body to his warm chest. It had fur, yes, but it wasn't thick by any means, and it didn't seem as if it was providing the little guy with any sort of warmth or insulation. The Australian, on the other hand, was naturally warm-blooded and he didn't tend to get cold easily, so sharing his body heat with a cute animal in need of it wasn't an inconvenience to him in the slightest. The creature let out a soft, content whine as its tail curled into its torso and its body snuggled into Chan's lower sternum region.

The Australian pulled out his cellphone, and he typed in the café's number, knowing fully that Sungjun wouldn't answer his personal phone during work hours. Two rings passed before the elder male picked up the phone.

"This is Café Divine, how may we help you?" Sungjun's voice rang out as he answered the call with the typical customer greeting.

"It's Chan," the blonde stated, "is Minho there for his shift yet?"

"Yeah, he's here, he clocked in just a few minutes ago," Sungjun replied, "why? Did you find Jeongin?"

"No," the younger boy shook his head, realizing that he'd nearly forgotten his original intent for leaving the shop in the first place as he glanced down at the animal he was holding, "I was too slow to catch up with him. But, I found this super cute. . . Cat-dog, thing? I don't know, I'm not sure what it is, but I swear, it's one of the cutest animals I've ever seen in my entire life."

"Okay, _and_?" Sungjun questioned, confusion prominently lacing his tone of voice.

"It looks like it's starving, so. . . I'm taking it to my apartment for the night. I want to give the little guy some food, some water, and let the poor thing have a warm place to sleep; -at least for one night," Chan explained.

"So. . . Let me get this straight," the elder boy prefaced, "you found a cat-dog thing, and now you're going to sneak this thing into your apartment, the one that we both know you'll get thrown out of if anyone find out about this?"

"Uh, yeah, pretty much," the Australian grimaced slightly at the way the admission sounded when it was spoken back to him in real time, but even still, Chan had already made up his mind about taking the creature home, and nothing Woojin said was going to be a deterrent to that.

"You don't even know what kind of animal it even is! For all you know, the damn thing could claw your face off in the middle of the night! It could maul you in your sleep! Chan, it's a street animal, it could be infested with all kind of things! Fleas, ticks, worms, - _rabies_!"

"Oh shut up, Sungjun," Chan rolled his eyes at the elder male's over dramatic statements, "it's not that big of a deal. If nobody catches me, nobody can report me. Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'it's not illegal if you don't get caught'?"

"Of course I have," Sungjun stated, "and it's still ridiculously stupid. Instead of living your life like that, why not just abide by the laws and not have to worry about being caught?"

"Because, in this case, I'm doing the right thing whether anyone can see that or not. I'm not leaving this little animal in a dirty alleyway starving and shivering. Especially not when I know that I can make this animal's life a little better tonight by giving it something to eat and drink and giving it a warm place to sleep," Chan stated firmly.

"I'll figure out where to go with things in the morning, and I'll be at the café to open things up like normal. For now, I'm going home early, and I'll pay you and Minho both for the extra hard work, does that sound fair?"

"Yeah," Sungjun replied, still feeling anxious about Chan's situation, although he didn't bother to voice those thoughts again, "that's fine. Just be careful with that thing, you never know what an animal is capable of or where they've been."

With quick goodbyes exchanged, Sungjun went back to his job and he gave a quick explanation of that night's situation to Minho, who's only reaction was that of excitement, and he was left with that goofy grin of his plastered across his face as he crossed his fingers in hopes of being able to meet Chan's new pet very soon. The blonde made his way out alleyway for good that time, too caught up in the simmering excitement rushing through his veins to notice the beanie and the tattered sweater that were lying at the very back of the alley in the shadows. . .

He received strange looks from the people he passed on his way back home, but he understood that most of them more than likely didn't mean it in a malicious way. They were simply trying to figure out what animal he was cradling in his arms, and he even caught wind of a few small children that he passed tugging on their guardian's coat sleeve, getting their attention in order to ask if they could pet the kitty, puppy, and one of them even insisted that the creature was a squirrel, much to Chan's amusement.

Just before he reached his apartment building, he spotted a young lady throwing one of her shopping bags into a trashcan, stuffing the items that were previously inside of the bag into another one that contained grocery items. Without thinking twice, Chan swiped the bag from the bin, not noticing that it was brandishing the widely recognizable logo of a popular lingerie store that was also known for selling basic sex toys like vibrators and dildos. Placing the small, unknown animal into the bag just before he entered his apartment complex, Chan entered the elevator behind a few of the other tenants that he didn't recognize.

The tiny creature made no noise, it simply laid inside of the bag, staying still so that no sounds would be made. It was almost as if the organism understood that it needed to be silent in order to make it through the situation.

Once inside of his own apartment, Chan apologized to the animal for having placed it inside of a shopping bag, and he briefly explained that it was something he'd done out of necessity. After that, he retried two bowls from his cabinet and emptied a package of turkey lunch meat into one of them before filling the other with tap water. He then took a step back and watched as the little fellow tore the processed meat apart, taking in quick laps of water to help the food go down smoother and settle better on the stomach.

With it's stomach full, the creature jumped onto the couch where Chan was seated, scrolling through web page after web page in hopes of finding out what the animal was. It didn't purr like a cat, nor did it lick or wag its tail like a dog. . . It simply clambered onto the Australian's lap with the purpose of stealing the human's warmth once again as its small head came to rest gingerly just below Chan's chin.

Come bedtime, the blonde felt bad about moving from the couch and making his way into his bedroom with the creature stirring from sleep as the Australian moved. However, that guilt dissipated as soon as the tiny animal jumped from his arms and was quick to snuggle up underneath of Chan's thick, warm blanket. The human slid under the blanket after removing his shirt, smiling warmly when the small animal moved in towards his body heat, cuddling up at Chan's side like a cat or a dog. The creature's light breathing fanned against the skin of the blonde's neck softly, and the little cat-dog relished in the warmth that resonated from Chan's skin, and with those incredibly comforting attributes ringing true, the both of them slipped into dreamland.

.❀。• *₊°。 ❀°。

When Jeongin woke, he felt warm and comfortable, which was a feeling that he'd never properly experienced before. _Ever_. He was a Hybrid, a Fennec Fox Hybrid to be exact, but in his human form, he only sported the pointy ears atop his head, and frankly, they didn't match well with his ebony locks. That was part of the reason why he wasn't much of a hot commodity as far as Hybrids went. At age nineteen, he'd yet to find a place where he truly felt he fit in, and though he'd searched high and low for such a wondrous location, the closest he'd come was a quaint, warm coffee shop on the outskirts of Busan run by a very attractive male who's hair color changed like the seasons.

With summer skin, spring eyes, winter tones, and autumn lips, Jeongin had long since become infatuated with the human. He only watched him from afar, of course, as the raven haired male was well aware of the fact that Chan wouldn't be fond of a Hybrid having an intense attraction to him. Or, that's what Jeongin assumed anyway, because the society that surrounded them wasn't at all open to the existence of anyone outside of the social norms. Busan was a beautiful place, but the people were restricting, and even more so, their attitudes were suffocating. So Jeongin wore a beanie everywhere, hiding his ears away from capricious gazes and arbitrary stares. He wore baggy clothes to hide his lanky body, and he never dared to look regular humans in the eyes.

He mostly lurked in the back alleyways of the city, typically on the outskirts where the competition for food amongst the strays was much less harsh. He fed on the leftovers of fast food that he could get his hands on, and he slept wherever it was dry enough to do so. Since breaking free of his former lifestyle at age sixteen, where his owner had been bringing up to gratify the sexual desires of rich men and women who were seeking to have sex with Hybrids, Jeongin had learned to survive on his own. He didn't need anyone but himself. . .

Although, he had to admit that waking up beside of someone, feeling the warmth of their skin and their even breaths, was one of the best feelings in the world. His independence meant everything to him, but at the same time, he liked the company. Jeongin did want an owner like most Hybrids had, rather, he wanted a partner like the humans had. He didn't want to be someone's property, he wanted to be their equal.

Chan shifted slightly, awake by that time but not awake enough to understand the world around him just yet. The blonde was still so out of it that he didn't bother to question anything; -not even the texture of human hair that his fingers came into contact with at the base of Jeongin's head. The Hybrid wasn't yet awake enough to grasp their situation either. Instead of finding himself pulling away from Chan's touch, he pressed his head into it, relishing in the feeling of the Australian's big, warm hands holding him so tenderly.

It was the perfect moment until Jeongin moved his right hand, slinking it slowly up Chan's chiseled abdomen, feeling the divots of the muscles for himself. The blonde let it be for a few moments, his brain just beginning to turn itself on as the raven haired boy's fingertips trailed up his sternum and over to his left shoulder. The Australian's eyes shot open, and pushed the Hybrid away out of nothing more than complete and utter horror. The last thing he remembered, he was sleeping side by side with a tiny little cat-dog creature that he'd sneaked into his apartment as a means of keeping the animal safe from the big, bad world outside.

Chan wound up on the floor, his eyes wide with fear and his heart pounding like a drum. He'd also taken the blanket with him in his tumble, leaving Jeongin's naked body exposed to the cold morning air as tears stung his eyes and threatened to spill over his thin eyelashes. The Hybrid tugged at the white sheet that was barely clinging to the edges of the bed, covering his lower half with the thin, milky fabric.

"I'm so sorry," Jeongin choked out, bringing the sheet up to his face to cover the redness of his cheeks, " _so sorry_."

Chan's heartbeat calmed and the Australian perched himself onto his knees, peering up onto the bed with a strange intensity as he studied the mixture of inky strands of hair and large ears covered in rusty orange fur. Exhaling slowly, the blonde climbed onto the bed, feeling a pang of guilt shoot through his chest upon seeing the way in which the Hybrid flinched at the movement.

"Hey," he whispered lightly, pushing the frail boy's hands away from his face, revealing the cherry tinted skin of his cheeks as well as the sparkling tears in his eyes that were seconds away from falling and streaking down his face.

"It's okay," Chan assured, cupping the Hybrid's heated face softly, "everything's okay, yeah? Just take a deep breath."

Jeongin did as instructed, sucking in a deep section of chilly morning air into his lungs, cringing lightly at the icy feeling that welled up inside of him as he did so.

". . . I'm so sorry," the raven haired boy stated, "I was hungry, and I didn't want to sleep on the street again. It's getting colder, and I never do well during autumn or winter. I know that it was wrong of me, and I swear that it wasn't supposed to end up like this, but you. . . You're warm, and your scent is soothing, so I couldn't help myself."

"Jeongin," Chan stated delicately, "I'm not mad at you. Not even a little. . . I'm just confused, that's all. Not angry, I just don't really understand what's going on."

"I'm a Hybrid," Jeongin blurted the words out, "a Fennec Fox Hybrid. I come from the pet trade, but I escaped when I was sixteen, so that was over three years ago by this point. I live in the alleyways of outer Busan, but sometimes I go into the city to try and find food. I also pick up change whenever I see it, which is pretty often since I'm so low to the ground most of the time, and hundreds of people walk through the streets every single day. I save the coins up, and I use my human form to go to your coffee shop every now and again. It gives me somewhere warm to sit and not worry about things for a little while. . ."

Chan had heard of the Hybrid's before. Of course he had; -every person and their great grandmother knew the stories about the Hybrids, and about the pet trade that they were bought through. The Australian had always assumed them to be just that, though. _Stories_. Ones made up a long time ago that just kept getting passed along throughout the generations. Jeongin was the first Hybrid that Chan had ever met in his entire life.

And on that crisp autumn morning is where their story truly began. Jeongin was given a job at Café Divine, and he worked as a completely normal human there. He did his job alongside Chan, Sungjun , and Minho who accepted the new employee into their friend circle with ease. Jeongin stayed with Chan, which left the other two males in the equation suspicious as to what was happening with them behind closed doors, and rightfully so, seeing as the Australian's apartment only had one bedroom (which the two males shared each night.)

Eventually, Jeongin's true identity as a Hybrid was divulged to Sungjun and Minho, and the latter of the two was so incredibly excited by that news that it was borderline comical. Minho had so many questions, and Jeongin answered each and every one of them to the best of his ability. Frankly, he was just thankful that he was considered interesting rather than disgusting, worthless, or degenerative as Hybrid's were so often described.

Jeongin really wasn't the type to fit into stereotypes anyway. Not in the slightest. He didn't have the innate desire to be owned by a human being, but rather, he wanted to share his own life with one. Try as he might, the Fennec Fox Hybrid found himself growing increasingly fond of Chan, the blonde haired Australian who'd taken him in during his lowest point of free life. Just as Hybrids tend to, Jeongin became attached to Chan.

The raven haired male clung to the Australian every chance that he got. He loved taking in the older boy's scent, which was precisely why the Hybrid had developed the habit of always wearing Chan's clothing instead of allowing the blonde to purchase him his own. Jeongin also loved it when the elder male sang him to sleep, the way the male's voice was so smooth and sweet; -like it was the audio equivalent of honey dripping straight off of the dipper in thick, golden streams.

Jeongin also loved it when Chan wrapped his arms around him and pulled him close; - _God_ , did he really, truly love that. The feeling of the Australian's strong, muscular arms surrounding him like a protective barrier, the way his scent was inescapable in moments like that, the way his heartbeat could be felt through his tanned skin and bulky pecs, the way his chest vibrated when he spoke softly to the Hybrid before pressing a soft kiss to the younger male's forehead. . .

 _ **Heaven**_. It was absolute heaven, so blissful and serene, so comforting, and Jeongin had come to need that comfort like he needed oxygen. There was no way they could be considered "just friends." No way on Earth. They skirted that line far too often for it to never have been passed. Jeongin didn't really know what love was, but when he rested his head on Chan's chest and breathed him in for everything it was worth, he began to think that he wasn't as clueless on the subject as he'd thought himself to be.

Jeongin ran his fingers through Chan's bleached locks, smiling up at the elder male as he did so.

"You're adorable," the Australian grinned, lightly scratching the spot behind the younger boy's right ear.

That was his sweet spot, the exact place that made his pupils dilate and made him whine lightly in pleasure.

"I have. . ." Jeongin hesitated, although the words were right there on the tip of his tongue.

Chan raised an eyebrow, waiting for the thought to be finished.

The Hybrid swallowed thickly.

". . . I have something I need to tell you," Jeongin breathed out, his heart skipping a beat as the full sentence finally fell from his lips.

That was the easy part of it all, and yet the raven haired male felt as if he was going to curl into himself and hide away at any given moment from the pressure that he, was indeed, putting on his own damn self.

"Alright," Chan egged the boy on, "what is it?"

"I'm. . ." the Hybrid hesitated again, the word coming out shaky and uneven, "I think that I'm in love with you."

The silence that followed was deafening, and it felt like it went on forever, when really, it was no more than a few second at the very most. Just long enough for the words to sink into Chan's mind, and for them to be processed correctly inside of it.

"Why are you so nervous, silly?" The Australian pulled the Hybrid close, and Jeongin let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding in the first place.

"I love you too. So much. . . _So much_ ," he emphasized, making sure that he got his point across, and firmly so, without a single doubt.

". . . can I kiss you then?" Jeongin ventured, his innocent eyes shimmering in his daze.

"You don't need to ask," the older male replied, a slightly amused tone interlocking with his words as he leaned downward, slotting his lips against Jeongin's.

It wasn't the type of kiss that's typically seen on television, or in movies, or written about in cheesy romance novels. Instead, it was built of nothing short of pure and youthful love. It was steeped in a passion that set the both of their souls on fire, and Jeongin's mind went blank as the world around him fell away.

God knows the two of them weren't the most likely of pairs, but they definitely made it work in their favor. They came from very different places, and neither of them really knew where the future would take them, but they each had every hope in the world that they could make it through any stormy sea as long as they had one another. As hard as it may get for a human to understand a Hybrid, and for a Hybrid to understand a human, they could make it work. They knew they could.

And at the end of all things, Jeongin and Chan both knew that every sacrifice and every compromise would be more than worth it.


End file.
